Aquilaria agallocha can produce fragrant agarwood used for incense, traditional medicine and other products. An efficient plant regeneration system was established via organogenesis from shoots developed from seedlings of Aquilaria agallocha. Shoots generated many buds on MS medium supplemented with 1.3 micromol/L BA (6-benzylaminopurine) in the first 7 weeks, and the buds elongated on MS medium with 1.3 micromol/L BA+0.5 micromol/L NAA (naphthaleneacetic acid) in another 7 weeks, 2.3 shoots 2 cm in length per explant were obtained within 14 weeks. Plantlets were rooted on 1/2 MS medium after being immersed in 5 micromol/L NAA for 48 h, 96.7% of the roots grew up two weeks later. All plantlets that survived acclimatization grew well in the pots.
Agriculture ; methods ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Forestry ; methods ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Growth Regulators ; metabolism ; Plant Shoots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Thymelaeaceae ; drug effects ; growth & development

Objective To explore the value of 11C-choline PET/CT in patients with hepatic spaceoccupying lesions that have an indeterminate diagnosis by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT. Methods A total of 25 liver masses in 20 patients with an indeterminate diagnosis based on 18F-FDG PET/CT were enrolled. Regional 11C-choline PET/CT scan was performed in all of the patients. Lesions with intense 11C-choline uptake were considered as positive. The semiquantitative maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax) was measured and the tumor-to-liver (T/L) radioactivity ratio was calculated. The Mann-Whitney test,Kruskal-Wallis test and crosstabs x2-test were performed by using SPSS version 11.5. Results Of the 25 lesions,21 were proven to be hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC),3 hemangiomas,and 1 parasitic granuloma. The sensitivity of 11C-choline PET/CT for the detection of HCC was 66.7% (14/21). 11C-choline PET/CT had a higher sensitivity for well differentiated HCC than moderately and poorly differentiated HCC on a patient basis (8/9 vs 2/5,respectively). There were significant differences of 11C-choline T/L ratios between the HCC positive group,HCC negative group and benign lesion group ( 1.70 ± 0.35,0.86 ± 0.15,and 0.36 ± 0.18,x2 = 19.00,P ＜0.01 ). The lesion size and alphafetoprotein (AFP) level between the HCC positive and negative groups had no significant difference respectively ( Mann Whitney U = 39.00,P ＞0.05,and U=16.00,P＞0.05,respectively). Conclusions 11C-choline is complementary to 18F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of HCC,especially for well differentiated HCC.

As products of interaction of time and space, geoherbs, which are essential parts of Chinese Materia Medica, were characterized in different morphology, unique habitat, continuous and changeable sites. The main fields in molecular mechanism of geoherbs focus on: biodiversity and molecular identification, genetic different and evolutionary genetics, geo-variation and environmental adaptation, germplasm and aimed genus choosing, expression and control of functional gene, gene transfer and bio-safety evaluation. The main tasks are to discover the genetic variation at molecular level, ascertain the molecular characteristics of geoherbs and the effect of environment on gene expression of geoherbs, confirm the genetic factors attribute to the forming of geoherbs, and find out the genetic basis of geoherbs at individual level and population level, respectively. This paper pointed out that the essential of geoherbs is continuers quantities variation at population level, geoherb's populations are different in gene frequency with the others'; geohersm are quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlled by multi - gene or combination with multiple-gene and major gene at individual level. It is very important to pay more attention to the scale effect of geoherbs, refer the theories and methods of quantities genetic, and concern more about the interaction of environment and gene in geoherbs' molecular mechanism research.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Geography ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; growth & development ; Quantitative Trait Loci

Based on the outpatient interview and literature review,the initial framework of the outpatient experience of human caring scale was formed with 9 dimensions of outpatient process.The research aim was to improve the scale by Delphi method.Sixteen experts in medical management,human caring or medical education were invited to evaluate the importance of the dimensions and items of the scale and provided some expertise via filling out the Delphi consultation questionnaires twice in the consulting round.In the first round,the recovery rate showing the experts' positivity was 80％;the coefficient of reliability (Cr) ascertaining the authority of the evaluation was 0.92;the mean and full mark ratios responding the concentration of the evaluation were 2.88-4.94 and 6.25％-93.75％ respectively;the coefficients of variation (CV) and the Kendall's W determining the concordance of the evaluation were 5.06％-52.15％ and 0.21-0.24 respectively.In the second round,the recovery rate was 93.75％;the Cr was 0.93;the mean was 3.93-4.93;the full mark ratios were 26.67％-93.33％;the Kendall's W was 0.14-0.31,the CV was 5.25％-23.61％.Via the two-round Delphi study,the scale that included 10 dimensions and 61 items has been improved.Ten dimensions are pre-hospital medical service,guidance,registration,waiting,diagnosis & treatment,paying,inspection & assay,medicine receiving,therapy/injection/transfusion and global evaluation.It was concluded that Chinese scholars have paid high attention to human caring and outpatient experience.The experts have given high agreements about the dimensions which were established with Chinese outpatient process.The dimensions are different from the similar researches about outpatient experience study.In the future,it is necessary to survey the outpatients to test the construct validity,internal consistency reliability and others of the scale to improve the scale.

Objective To investigate the pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine(CsA) in type 1 diabetes of rats.Methods Rats with type 1 diabetes were induced by intraperitoneal administration of 65 mg· kg-1 streptozotocin (STZ).Pharmacokinetics of CsA (10 mg· kg-1) was compared between diabetic and normal rats on the 5 weeks after STZ injection.Concentration of CsA in whole blood was measured by enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique.Results Type 1 diabetes rats were successfully induced as the fasting blood glucose levels exceeded 11.1 mmol · L-1 after STZ injection for 1 week.Beside glucose,total cholesterol (TC) and triacylglycerol (TG) in serum of diabetic rats were significantly higher than those in normal rats after STZ injection for 5 weeks.Unlike normal rats,the pharmacokinetics of CsA in diabetic rats exhibited a double peak after oral administration.The Tmax and Cmax were lower in diabetic rats than normal rats,although without statistical differences as follows:Tmaxwas (3.3±1.6),(3.2 ±2.5) h,Cmax was (579.0±208.5),(453.0 ± 104.8) ng· mL-1 in normal and diabetic rats.Compared with normal rats,AUC and t1/2 of CsA in diabetic rats decreased significantly,which were 0.51 and 0.70 times those of normal rats,respectively;AUC was (7343.2 ± 2333.7),(3729.7 ± 1106.6) h ·ng · mL-1,t1/2 was (8.5 ± 1.5),(6.0 ± 0.9) h in normal and diabetic rats.Conclusion The oral pharmacokinetics of CsA was significantly different in type 1 diabetic rat model compared to normal controls,which should be taken into consideration in clinical medication.

OBJECTIVETo explore a method which can remove the gastric mucus in order to prepare mucous membrane single cell suspension for the research of cytomics.

METHODSEnzymology was used to remove the mucus gel and to separate mucous layer from the normal fresh gastric tissue. The mucous layer was broken to prepare single cell suspension with machine method. Expression of major cyclins in mucous layer cells was examined by cytoimmunochemistry, flow cytometry(FCM) and confocal microscopy.

RESULTSThe 0.1% pepsin could dissolve the mucus gel and 1.2-2.4 U/L dispase could separate the mucous layer completely. The single mucous cell suspension was prepared successfully. FCM results from mucous single cell suspension revealed that expression of cyclin D(3), B(1) was obvious, that of cyclin D(2) was weak and that of cyclin D(1), A, E was the least. Similar results were found with confocal microscopy.

CONCLUSIONSSingle cell suspension from mucous layer can be easily prepared by pepsin and dispase. Cyclins schedule expression in vivo is different from cyclins schedule expression in vitro.

Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclins ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Gastric Mucins ; metabolism ; Gastric Mucosa ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; cytology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of maternal age on meiotic spindle and chromosome configuration of oocytes.

METHODSSpindle and chromosome configuration was examined in day 1 unfertilized human oocytes after in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) by immunocytochemistry and visualized by laser confocal microscopy.

RESULTSStatistically significant differences were observed on normal spindle and chromosome configurations of oocytes between 25-29 maternal age group (33% and 31%, respectively), and 30-34 age group (P< 0.05) as well as 35-40 age group(0%, P<0.01). The incidence of abnormal spindle and chromosome configurations of oocytes from 30-34 and 35-40 maternal age groups was much higher than that of oocytes from 25-29 age group (P<0.01, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONIncidence of abnormal spindle and chromosome configuration of oocytes is related to maternal age. It could be an important reason of age related oocyte aneuploidy.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Chromosomes, Human ; metabolism ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Oocytes ; metabolism ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spindle Apparatus ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo carry out prenatal diagnosis on two fetuses of different pedigrees with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).

METHODSThe amniotic fluid was obtained with the help of a clinical doctor and the genomic DNA was isolated from it. Maternal DNA contamination was excluded by fluorescent STR profiling, The R617G mutation found in the first pedigree was searched in genomic DNA of amniotic fluid cells (AFC) from fetus 1 by amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and dot DNA hybridization while the P534R mutation found in pedigree 2 was analyzed in the AFC genomic DNA of fetus 2 by restrictive digestion with Hae II and DNA direct sequencing.

RESULTSA specific band (185 bp) was detected from the genomic DNA of the first fetus and his mother by using mutation primer in ARMS but not from that of the first fetus's father and unrelated controls. DNA dots were visualized only in the fetus 1 and carrier when using the mutation probe in DNA hybridization. In the other ALD family, the PCR product (506 bp) of the second fetus which spanned the site of P534R mutation could not be digested with Hae II and no mutation was detected in the ABCD1 gene from the genomic DNA of the fetus 2 by using DNA direct sequencing.

CONCLUSIONFetus 1 had R617G mutation on his ABCD1 gene and he was an adrenoleukodystrophy hemizygote. Fetus 2 had no P534R mutation on his ABCD1 gene and he was a normal hemizygote.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family D, Member 1 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; Adrenoleukodystrophy ; diagnosis ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; methods ; Pedigree ; Point Mutation ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility and safety of microdrop-vitrification for epididymal spermatozoa obtained by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) without cryoprotectants.

METHODSWe treated the epididymal sperm samples from 22 patients by conventional freezing (Group 1) and microdrop-vitrification without cryoprotectants (Group 2), and evaluated the effectiveness of the two methods by comparing their revival rate, retrieval rate and incidence of sperm nuclear DNA fractures.

RESULTSMotile sperm were found in all but 1 case in Group 1. The revival rates of the frozen sperm were low in both Groups 1 and 2 ([18.16 +/- 9.38]% vs [21.99 +/- 10.95]%, P > 0.05), but statistically significant differences were shown between the two groups in the retrieval rate ([58.39 +/- 12.67]% vs [70.82 +/- 14.94]%, P < 0.01). Before freezing, nuclear DNA fractures existed in the epididymal sperm samples of all the 22 patients, comet sperm were seen after unicellular gel electrophoresis, and the incidence of sperm nuclear DNA fracture was (26.68 +/- 9.45)%. After freezing, no increase was observed in the incidence of sperm nuclear DNA fracture in either Group 1 or 2 ([28.68 +/- 12.54]% vs [27.64 +/- 10.70]%, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONMicrodrop can be used as a suitable freezing carrier for a low number of sperm, and cryoprotectant-free vitrification with microdrop may be a simple, safe and effective method for the cryopreservation of a low number of epididymal sperm.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; surgery ; Cryopreservation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Spermatozoa ; Vitrification

OBJECTIVETo investigate changes in serum complement, immunoglobulins and lymphocyte subsets in children with common and severe bronchial pneumonia, and the role of immune function testing in bronchial pneumonia.

METHODSTwenty children with common bronchial pneumonia, 20 with severe bronchial pneumonia and 20 healthy children (as controls) were enrolled in this study. Immunization rate scattering turbidimetry and six-color flow cytometry were used to detect changes in serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgM, complement C3 and C4 and CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD16(+), CD56(+) and CD19(+) cells.

RESULTSThe IgA levels of children with common and severe pneumonia were significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). The IgG level of children with severe pneumonia was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of IgM and complement C3 and C4 between the two pneumonia groups and the control group (P>0.05). Compared with the controls, the children with severe pneumonia showed significantly lower CD4(+) and CD3(+) counts (P<0.05) and a significantly higher CD19(+) count (P<0.05), and the CD16(+) and CD56(+) counts of children with severe pneumonia were significantly lower than in the controls and in children with common pneumonia (P<0.05). There were no differences in CD8(+) count and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio between the two pneumonia groups and the control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSImmune dysfunction exists in children with bronchial pneumonia, especially those with severe pneumonia. Changes in immune function are correlated with the severity of pneumonia. Immune function testing in children with pneumonia has important clinical significance.

Bronchopneumonia ; immunology ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Infant ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Male ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology